By John Ikani
The COVID-19 pandemic is said to have found its way to Aso Rock presidential villa, infecting a number of presidential aides, including closest aides to President Muhammadu Buhari who are saddled with his protection.
Online investigative newspaper Premium Times named those affected as the permanent secretary in the State House, Tijani Umar; the President’s Aide-de-camp (ADC), Yusuf Dodo; his chief security officer (CSO), Aliyu Musa, and his senior special assistant (media and publicity), Garba Shehu.
The minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed, is also reported to have contacted the virus.
The online newspaper said their results were confirmed positive during the week.
However, none of them is thought to be seriously affected by the virus because they are fully vaccinated.
Recall that the First Lady, Dr Aisha Muhammadu Buhari had a few days ago after returning from Istanbul, Turkey, ordered for the closure of her office and directed her staff to proceed on indefinite leave.
It is believed that the directive is not unconnected with the need to check the possible spread of coronavirus around the first family.
She had given a similar directive in the past as Covid-19 started to gain ground in the country.
Earlier in December, there was uproar in the Nigerian media about the delegation of the visiting South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, not undergoing tests for COVID-19.
Ramaphosa who also visited Senegal tested positive for COVID-19 some 10 days after leaving Nigeria.
The South African government however said at the time that the president’s delegation underwent tests while in West Africa, downplaying concerns about COVID-19 spreading in any of the countries.
Corroborating the story, local newspaper LEADERSHIP Sunday suggested that the spread of the virus is not only limited to officials in Aso Villa, as an unspecified number of people in Abuja’s diplomatic Circle have also contacted the virus.
Staff of Embassies and high commissions at the affected missions who had previously been granted leave are now being recalled to fill in for the depleted workforce.
It was gathered that local staff in the Australian High Commission in Abuja are part of those being recalled from their leave.
